pop culture

John Elliott Presents FW23 Collection “Wherever, Whenever..Have A Nice Day”

John Elliott

Published Feb 9, 2023

John Elliott’s FW23 is bringing forth a new experience. Entitled, “Wherever, Whenever..Have A Nice Day” the collection is a continuation of the same mentality the brand’s namesake designer got into coming out of his SS23 show “Leap of Faith.” This new go-round is a narrative informed by the idea of conjuring up the courage that we all face in our formative coming of age years, to ‘Go for it’—whether that’s going away to school, trying a new hobby, moving cities, or even in his case, starting a business—embracing whatever it is that gives you that fight or flight feeling.

John Elliott / Photographer - Paulo Rafael

For this fall collection, John tapped into a stylistic tone and way of make that embraced the brand’s current direction while catering to the cooler months of the year. Gus Van Sant’s classic My Own Private Idaho was an inspiration offering stylistic codes that form the building blocks as a continuation of the previous collection which is, “Kids on the move in their formative years.” The idea of “worked,” designs - Intentionally destroyed or hand constructed is one of the elements presented in this FW23 showcase, most notably with the “Quilted Terry,” which is crafted in Japan with five different piece-dyed tones.

Expanding on this idea of hand-worked, are items that might be considered precious were destroyed intentionally, to which the Fisherman Rib Knits are the most prominent example. For fall seasons, John has typically been enamored with military codes, but this season graduated to more classic Americana which you can see in the Cropped Field Jacket and Longer Hunting Jacket, which is produced in washed-out cotton canvas with quilted padding to provide insulation. There’s also the Chunky Big Macs which fray and fade beautifully over time combined with Italian-made footwear and modular bags to round out the assortment.

John Elliott / Photographer - Paulo Rafael

John Elliott / Photographer - Paulo Rafael

Here’s what John himself had to say about the collection:

“I like to feel details and experience the garments over time. As a brand that’s unbranded, I really want people to notice things they might have overlooked on first purchase or wear, and fall in love with pieces over time, as they learn more about them.”

John Elliott

John Elliott / Photographer - Paulo Rafael

That’s another reference to the film, in the sense there’s no doubt that a vintage component exists within the collection. When you find something you love, that’s been pre-loved, there’s inherently personality in that style. That ethos is something the brand tried to extract for this season, finding elements that are unique, almost wonky, from vintage pieces, and functionally adding them to the overarching story.

And there's more to come.